1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a miniature small pitch connection element intended for forming electrical connections in electronic systems. The greater and greater miniaturization and complexity of electronic components lead to the multiplication of the conducting connections on restricted surfaces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The needs for connecting components on printed circuit cards, or such cards together, have led to a new connector technology based on the use of the resilient properties of elastomers.
A device of the prior art, described in European patent No. 0 001 477, is a connector in which metal parts are placed about an elastomer body in the form of bent tracks. This connector comprises an elongate body made from an insulating elastomer material of uniform cross section and which has two opposite flat and parallel faces connected together on one side by a convex surface. Several conducting paths are disposed on this body, each of these paths comprising a contact part on each of these two opposite faces of the body and a part extending along the convex surface between these contact parts. Such conducting parts are formed from a strip of insulating elastomer material obtained by printed circuit techniques and bent so as to form the desired product. This technique improves the reliability after compression of the connection element, but involves delicate operations, on the one hand because, of the necessarily reduced dimensions and so of the accurate positioning of the conducting parts and, on the other hand, because of the soundness of the securing of the metal parts to the elastomer, since they are not surrounded by the insulating material.
The present invention overcomes these drawbacks by a technology which allows a less complex implementation while ensuring a good metal-elastomer connection and a high level of reliability after repeated compressions.